BBB Announces Top Ten Scams of 2011

The nominees are in and after reviewing thousands of scam reports over the last  year, the Better  Business Bureau (BBB) has named its infamous list of the Top Ten Scams of 2011 by category, including one scam so notoriously evil that is earns honors as Scam of the Year! This year, scams are increasingly reliant upon technology, with a healthy smattering that includes the use of texting, Facebook and email. What’s more, it’s getting even more difficult for unsuspecting victims to discern a legitimate communication from a fraudulent one, thus making 2011 a bountiful year for scammers and fraudsters alike.

According to the BBB, the top ten scams of 2011 by category include:

It Pays to Be Alert — Phone Scam Awareness Helps Courageous Raleigh Woman

Phone scam awareness is spreading across the globe and it has been instrumental in preventing the robbery of thousands of dollars. A Raleigh, North Carolina woman, Susan Johns, due to recent awareness, was able to spot a phone scam before it made her a victim.

Johns recalls viewing a NBC story about a woman who became a phone scam victim. Because of the story she became suspicious of a recent phone call to her house and credits the story and the courage of the victim with her victory. “If it hadn’t been for that really courageous lady, we probably would have picked up on it, but it made it more clear because of what she had gone through. If this helps someone else catch them, and say ‘oh, this isn’t right,’ then, Amen. Praise God,” she said.

How to spot unauthorized phone charges

When you think of telephone fraud, you automatically picture a phone conversation in which a mysterious voice asks you for social security and bank account numbers, but the sad truth is that you can be deceived right there in black and white, on your telephone bill. “Cramming” is the addition of charges for unauthorized products or services directly to your monthly phone bill, and most of us never even notice it. In fact, according to the FCC, as many as 20 million Americans have been victims of cramming, and it is likely that 95% of us don’t even know it! The losses attributed to cramming add up — cramming can add as little as $1.99 or as much as $19.99 each month to your bill.

List of telephone star codes to “hack” your phone

In an age when our cell phones are capable of just about anything with an endless barrage of apps and functionality, our land line home telephones are looking pretty dumb. But are they? We think they are actually smarter than most people know, and they have been for a very long time – if you know what to do. Let’s call it old school style phone hacking, even though it’s really just knowing that your phone is capable of a number of additional services if you know the right command. Otherwise commonly known to many of us as “star codes”, vertical service codes (VSC) are special codes dialed on either a cell phone or land line phone before a traditional telephone number that initiate some special service. 

Top five phone call faux pas

They are seemingly innocent, little devices that are designed to make life easier, but we all know that if not used without proper caution these buttoned cuties can turn on you like evil, little nymphs and bite the hand that texts on them. We are talking about phones of course! Some so innocently lurking in your home, and some so smugly sitting in your pocket just waiting for the right opportunity to turn the telephone wires and cause you some mischief! Get ready for the top five phone call faux pas that every caller should be wary of!

How to block calls on your home phone

If you’re frequently on the receiving end of annoying phone calls from either someone you do know or someone you don’t know, you may be excited to learn about a smart, little service from your phone company called “Call Blocking.” This service, provided by your local phone company, allows you to reject phone calls from a certain number of designated numbers, even if the annoying caller has blocked his own phone number himself! You will be unaware of the call, and the caller will hear the message,”Your call cannot be completed. The number you are calling has activated Call Blocking, indicating that they do not wish to receive calls at this time.” The number of telephone numbers that you can block may vary according to your local phone company’s specific policies.

POLL: What do you do when you get a call from an unknown number?

I get ‘em, you get ‘em, my mother gets ‘em, your mother gets ‘em. We all get calls from phone numbers that we just don’t recognize and sometimes those calls just keep coming in!

When this seriously annoying event happens to you on your home or cell phone number, what do you do?  Share with us and add your answer to the poll below!

How to Stop Telemarketers from Calling

Telemarketers are among the most annoying groups of people on the planet, that is, aside from in-laws, dentists, and “financial advisers.” They invade the sanctity of our homes on a daily basis, preying on their victims usually around dinner time. They ramble on incessantly, and find it difficult to take “no” for an answer, and when rejection finally sets in, they all sound dejected and hurt, making you feel as if you are the first person who has ever reacted with less than open arms toward this telephone perp. So what’s the best remedy for dealing with unwanted telemarketing calls?

What is a reverse phone number search?

What was once a symbol of power, available only to officers and detectives in hot pursuit of perps on the prowl, now any individual can find out who’s on the other end of a phone call by using a reverse phone lookup directory.  These amazing compilations of information work in perfect harmony with the now common luxury of caller ID, helping us identify phone scammers, telemarketers and any other unwanted calls that you can possible think of. You see, after all, technology has shifted the power from one side of the telephone line to the other because now, unknown-number-callers, we see you, and we know who you are!